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Most international musicians would baulk at the notion of a two-day journey to final rehearsals past military checkpoints on alert for weapons smugglers. But for 19-year-old viola player Ibrahim Masri, it's an occupational hazard. He's part of the Palestine Youth Orchestra, which has been touring Europe for three weeks and whose 76 members -- crossing borders and religious divides -- include Muslims, Druze and Christians.

Aged 14 to 27, its players on this tour came from occupied Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and inside Israel itself.

However, unlike on previous tours, nobody from Gaza made this trip, orchestra manager Zeina Khoury said.